DURBAN, WITH HALF A MILLION PEOPLE, is the largest city in South Africa’s KwaZulu-Natal province. It’s located on the Natal Bay of the Indian Ocean and an hour southeast of Johannesburg by plane. While Durban is known for its beaches, botanic gardens, sites like UShaka Marine World and the world’s tallest swing — the Big Rush Big Swing, where you can soar high at Moses Mabhida Stadium — a sweet spot called the Point Waterfront is taking on a life of its own.

The first Saturday of each month you can browse the I Heart Market, where you’ll find some of the best from locals, be it fashion, jewelry, art, vintage items, ceramics, plants, natural skincare products or home goods. Then there’s the fantastic food. The I Heart Market makes a great place to spend an afternoon.

Robsons Real Beer & Food Factory offers another reason to visit the Point Waterfront. Robsons craft brews its beer in house. You’ll dig the atmosphere, high ceilings, sports playing on mega TVs and a beer garden out back for chilling with your brew. Don’t expect typical pub fare. Beer is king, but so is food. You’ll understand if you have the Gravy Train, slow-cooked barbecue brisket, shaved and served with braised onion and peppered beer gravy with aioli slaw and cheesy beer bread. Or try a pizza called The Gary, slow-roasted duck with fig jam, spinach, red peppers and camembert.

Come nightfall, the place to be and be seen is The Chairman, a jazz bar for the sophisticated. Don’t come in jeans; dress to impress. Lose yourself in the eclectic environment, architecture, interior design, museum-worthy art and artifacts, dim lighting and diverse international crowd. Have a cigar if you like and enjoy the sounds of top and emerging musicians. Indulge in cocktails like The Chairman’s Special; a drink called Surrender Your Booty, made with Bombay gin, martini and Cointreau with strong ginger, pineapple and lemongrass flavors; or Kind of Blue, blending Johnny Walker Blue, gin, tequila and Cointreau flavored with fresh grapefruit. The vibe is New York City Greenwich Village cool and hip. But you’ll know where you are with a menu that includes delights like a Mozambiquean margherita pizza and grilled ostrich boerewors sausage.